Marisa's Healthy Kitchen » breakfast

Yummy Protein Goo Ball Bites

marisashealthykitchen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:43:14 +0000

I have been doing my best to get as much protein as possible lately. (Thank goodness for Brendan Brazier’s Vega Bars!) I have made many versions of this snack throughout my life, but never added protein powder before and it really was such a perfect addition! I made both vanilla and chocolate versions to enjoy Awesome!

These were so super fast to whip up and even faster to eat haha so make sure you make some extra for the perfect on the go snacks.

Yummy Protein Goo Ball Bites

Chocolate Version

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (as I mentioned above – I love Brendan Brazier’s products from Vega and his Shake & Go Smoothie Chocolate is amazing!!!!)
2 tablespoons Artisana coconut butter (this is the best stuff ever!)
2 teaspoons honey or agave
1 heaping teaspoon organic peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/4 cup light coconut milk

Vanilla Version

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (my absolute favorite vanilla powder - Life Time Lifes Basics Plant Protein)
2 tablespoons Artisana coconut butter
2 teaspoons honey or agave
1 heaping teaspoon organic peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/4 cup light coconut milk

Combine all ingredients. You might need a little more protein powder or coconut if too wet or some coconut milk if too dry. Roll into balls in your hands.

Optional add ons:

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Extra shredded coconut

Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip the bites in the bowl. Then sprinkle coconut over and freeze until firm.

Spring/Summer Cleanse 2011: Week 1

marisashealthykitchen — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:04:30 +0000

It is that time of year, cleansing time! I love to do fasts and detoxes a few times a year. I have done so many different cleanses ranging from green smoothie cleanses, to juice cleanses, to the master cleanse and even gallbladder and liver cleanses. I decided this time around to embark on a longer more sustainable cleanse. It is a combo elimination diet and detox. This is helping me cleanse easily and effectively while I am continuing to eat. But I have cut out foods that would interfere with the cleansing process and that I feel I rely too much on in my diet. I used Dr. Alejandro Junger’s, Clean Program as a loose guideline. I am hoping to maintain eating primarily the foods of the Elimination Diet even after I finish the cleanse, while occasionally enjoying some of the other foods.

My Plan for the Cleanse:

Weeks 1-3 (21 days): (I plan on doing this part for 4 weeks)

Breakfast: Smoothie/Juice or Protein Shake
Lunch: Clean meal made of detox friendly foods (see list below)
Dinner: Smoothie/Juice/Soup/Blended Foods
Snacks: anything from the approved list, but only snack when truly hungry, not just bored. (I can certainly relate to this!)
Drink A LOT of water and/or herbal tea.
Also ideally lunch should be the real food meal, but of course since this is an extended cleanse, if you need to switch lunch and dinner sometimes it is fine, BUT make sure you keep
a 12 hour window between dinner and breakfast free of food for optimal digestion and detoxing. (This actually makes this so much easier to sustain for weeks at a time, knowing that you can still go out for dinner sometimes!)
The shakes/smoothies/juices are meant to help decrease the amount of work your digestive system has to do so it can rest and restore.

The general list of foods to remove for Elimination Diet includes: grains with gluten, anything processed (including all soy products), fatty nuts, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), condiments, sugar and obviously no dairy, animal products, alcohol, caffeine or soda. Click here to see Elimination List. and here to see the Shopping List.

Weeks 4: Juice Cleanse

I love my juice cleanses! See this post for more details.

Weeks 5: Back to the Elimination Diet Cleanse detailed above

With all stages I will include lots of Yoga of course and some cardio exercises.

Here is my first week of the cleanse broken down meal by meal to make it super easy for you to cleanse! Of course adjust times and recipes for your life and preferences. Meals in Bold have recipes listed below. I will post a few more recipes next week to add more variety

DAY ONE

8am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
10am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Morning Green Smoothie
1:30pm (lunch): Romaine with Caesar Dressing and Capers
8pm (dinner): Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

DAY TWO

8am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
10am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Morning Green Smoothie
2:00pm (lunch): Kitchari from JivamukTea Cafe (they use brown rice instead of white basmati! perfect!)
4pm (snack): A handful of mixed seeds and nuts
7pm (dinner): Shake: 1 serving UltraClear and MetaFiber mixed with water

DAY THREE

8am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
10:30am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Morning Green Smoothie
2:00pm (lunch): Raw Sesame Nut-meat salad from Bonobos
7:30pm (dinner): Shake: 1 serving UltraClear and MetaFiber mixed with water

DAY FOUR

5 am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
7:30 am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Morning Green Smoothie
12:00pm (lunch): Kitchari and a kale side from JivamukTea Cafe
4pm (snack): A handful of mixed seeds and nuts
8:30 pm (dinner): Cucumber and Avocado Soup

DAY FIVE

8am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
10am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Shake: 1 serving UltraClear and MetaFiber mixed with water
1:30pm (lunch): Berry Protein Shake
4pm (snack): A handful of mixed seeds and nuts
7pm (dinner): Coconut/Avocado Raw soup & Lover’s Salad from Caravan of Dreams

DAY SIX

9am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
11am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Berry Protein Shake
1:30pm (lunch): Chocolate Protein UN-Milkshake
4pm (snack): A handful of mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds
7pm (dinner): Soba Noodle Soup at Souen Ramen

DAY SEVEN

9am Upon Rising: room temperature lemon water &/or herbal tea
11am Breakfast(at least an hour after waking): Mango and Coconut Smoothie
2:30pm (lunch): Leftover Soba Noodle Soup & Small Salad with Caesar Dressing
5pm (snack): A handful of mixed seeds and nuts
9pm (dinner): Leftover FROZEN Berry Protein Shake (so fun! I was able to eat it like a creamy sorbet instead of drinking it )

RECIPES

Morning Green Smoothie (2 servings)(We drink this most days as it is now )

1 cup frozen Blueberries or raspberries
1 cup frozen Mango or Pineapple
big handful of baby spinach or 3 stalks of kale or chard
2 heaping tablespoons Synergy Green Powder, Vitamineral Green or other green powder
1 tablespoon Maca
1 heaping teaspoon Crystal Manna Blue green algae or E3AFA2 heaping tablespoons Psyllium Whole Husks or MetaFiber1 serving of Vegan Protein (soy-free) powder; Vega, UltraClear, Life’s Basics
2 cups Almond, Hemp or Coconut milk
1/2 cup water or coconut water

optional: coconut (unsweetened) or avocado

Blend everything together and Enjoy! Feel free to play around with ingredients (adding or ommitting them) but pay attention to the elimination diet guide (ie no bananas for this smoothie)

Berry Protein Shake
Recipe adapted from Dr. Alejandro Junger

1 cup nut/rice/hempseed milk of your choice (either homemade with 1/2 cup nuts and 1 1/2-2 cups water, or unsweetened)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (optional)
3 pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 serving of Vegan Protein Powder
1 serving of Fiber powder, Psyllium Husks or 2 ounces aloe juice
Handful of Spinach or serving of green powder

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Mango and Coconut Smoothie

1 cup frozen mango
1/2 frozen pineapple
1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons agave
12 ounces almond, coconut milk or coconut water
handful of baby spinach

Blend and Enjoy!

Chocolate Protein UN-Milkshake

This was out of control deelish! It was so creamy and chocolatey! I would not have it everyday, but for a treat, especially when cleansing, it was amazing!

4 ounces of water
8 ounces of almond milk (unsweetened)
1/2 of an avocado
2 teaspoons organic almond butter
a pinch of sea salt
1 serving Chocolate Protein Powder – Vega Chocolate is Great!
1 serving MetaFiber
1 tablespoon Agave
1 heaping tablespoon raw cacao powder

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe from Clean Book; Dr. Alejandro Junger

2 cups Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped
2 stalk celery
2 green apples, peeled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
4-5 cups water

Blend all ingredients except tarragon in a high speed blender.
Check Seasoning
Add the tarragon and blend again for 10 seconds, just enough to be mixed in.
Serve in a bowl or mug slightly warm or at room temperature.

Cucumber and Avocado Soup
Recipe from Dr. Alejandro Junger
1 serving

zest of 1/2 lime
juice of an entire lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and roughly chopped

Blend everything together until totally creamy and smooth.

Nina’s Yukon gold potato pancakes with seaweed “caviar” and horseradish “creme fraiche”

marisashealthykitchen — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:47:56 +0000

I am so happy to present a Guest Blog entry from my fabulous and beautiful Friend, Yogi and Dancer, Nina Hayes. These look sooo amazing, everything Nina does is fabulous! She also makes these deelish looking Sugar Me Bon Bons! I can’t wait to try these too!!

About Nina’s decision to Go Vegan: I didn’t chose to become vegetarian, rather it chose me. At a young age I felt a deep sadness when a well intentioned adult “treated” me to chicken nuggets at McDonalds. All I could think about was the fuzzy little chicks I had seen at the farm and I became nauseated. But I was embarrassed to share my feelings so I ate the nuggets and attempted to push the thoughts away. After years of denying the distress that eating another being caused, I eventually became numb to the experience of cruelty. Then in my early teens the feelings resurfaced and I was compelled to stop eating flesh, though I still lacked the conviction to share my motivation for my decision and the journey continued. Several years later, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and it was at this time that I learned about the many negative health consequences of dairy, in particular the hormones that are passed on to humans when consuming animal products. I was alarmed and angered to learn that there were scientific studies directly linking animal products to cancer and a myriad of health problems. Why were health professionals, the federal government and my school offering this?! After, shunning dairy, largely for health reasons, my focus shifted when the connection between individual ill health and the suffering inflicted on dairy cows was revealed to me. This revelation came through the teachings of Jivamukti Yoga and the universal laws of Karma, causing suffering to another being would inevitably lead to individual and global suffering, was revealed. It was simple and astounding to remember that every cause has an effect. Often the effects do not come with immediacy, so we fail to see the relationship. When we do, we often deny it because the truth can be hard to bear. I chose to become a proud vegan because denying the truth is yet harder to bear. This is my story. I hope it inspires you to live your truth….our collective truth.

Nina’s Yukon gold potato pancakes with seaweed “caviar” and horseradish “creme fraiche”

My inspiration came from Ikea of all places. In the food market area they have a “caviar” made with seaweed and it sells for only $1.99. Impressively, unlike my small dresser requiring thirty plus steps to assemble, the caviar is ready to use A frugal and cruelty free find for everyday decadence. Inspired, I created a recipe for it that evening. It is boyfriend tested and approved. Before you lament that you don’t live near a Swedish furniture palace, search for “vegan caviar” online. There are countless options. I even came across a Divine sounding truffled vegan caviar.

Recipe:

Prepare mashed potatoes (Yukon gold is far superior because of creamy texture and rich flavor). I trust you can prepare mashed potatoes, though here are a few tips: Salt potatoes after boiling. Use unsweetened soy milk and only the tiniest amount since you want a very stiff mash which you can handle to mold the pancake. For flavor add Earth Balance vegan margarine.
Next prepare the “creme fraiche” by adding jarred/fresh horseradish and a pinch of salt to Tofutti brand sour cream. Set aside and allow flavors to meld.
Meanwhile form mashies into 1/2″ rounds and dredge in flour. Pan fry over low heat for about 2 min. on each side.
Final step is to plate. Carefully remove pancake from skillet and top with “creme fraiche”, a teaspoonful of “caviar”, a sprinkle of salt and a turn of fresh black pepper. For a special; occasion or extra decadence, serve with a flute of champagne. My apologize for the poor quality photo. We were so eager to sample that I didn’t take the time to take a proper photo. Bon Appetit!

Vegan Passover 2011

marisashealthykitchen — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:07:26 +0000

This Passover was extra special with an addition of some new recipes! YUM!!!

We always eat a lot of quinoa, salads and veggies. And of course I also get to have the treat of Matzah & Earth Balance. So simple, yet amazing of course!

Last year we tried these vegan matzah balls but they disintegrated when left in the broth. This year my friend Lisa Dawn has been experimenting for a few weeks for the perfect Passover recipes. Thanks to Lisa Dawn and to Nava Atlas for these new amazing Matzah Balls and Matzah Brei recipes!! And thanks to my Mom and Mother-in-Law for making these amazing matzah balls for us. And Michael and I loved the Brei! YUM!!!

Also check out these recipes as well

Red Quinoa and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing – this quinoa is a year round loved recipe!
Chopped “Liver” Spread
I love Charoset (chopped walnuts, apples and wine – seriously what could be bad there??)
Gluten -free “mac and cheese” recipe to come soon So good!

photo from http://lisaprojectvegan.blogspot.com since we didn't photo them from my Mom and Mother-in-Law

Matzah Balls
Makes: About 24

The main difference with these matzah balls are you don’t boil them, you bake them so they stay intact! The quinoa flakes bind them together and adds protein, how fabulous! These were amazing!!! And now I see what Lisa Dawn was saying how quinoa flakes are her new best friend!

1 cup quinoa flakes
2 cups boiling water
One box (2 packets) Streit’s or Maneschewitz Matzo Ball Mix
1/4 cup light vegetable oil (like safflower)

In a large mixing bowl, cover the quinoa flakes with the water. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in both packets of matzah meal mix along with the oil, and mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Just before baking, preheat the oven to 275º F. Roll the matzah meal mixture into approximately 1-inch balls; don’t pack them too firmly. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, carefully turning the matzah balls after 10 minutes, until firm to the touch; don’t let them brown. If making ahead of time, let the matzah balls cool completely, then cover until needed. Warm them briefly in a medium oven and distribute them among the soup bowls, allowing 3 or 4 matzah balls per serving.

Vegan Matzah Brei
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Nava Atlas and Lisa Dawn

I have only seen recipes for vegan mazah brei with tofu and was sooo happy when Lisa Dawn posted this recipe from Nava Atlas. More of our new best friend Quinoa Flakes! This was so good and I added the sugar so it tasted just like my mom’s growing up! YUM!

6 sheets of matzah, crumbled
1 cup quinoa flakes
4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons Earth Balance
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Sugar

Boil the water. In a bowl, mix the crumbled matzah and the quinoa flakes. Pour the hot water over it and let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes. It is ready when the water is absorbed. In a skillet, melt Earth Balance and pour the mixture in. Sort of flatten it down a little and sprinkle with salt and sugar. When it has been going for a few minutes, scramble it a little to give all sides a chance to crisp up. Just scramble for a few more minutes and then serve and Enjoy!

Kitchari Challenge – Recipe #1

marisashealthykitchen — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:58:00 +0000

I love Kitchari!! Kitchari is typically considered a fasting food and is used to purify digestion and cleanse systemic toxins but is also an amazing meal on its own account. I eat it at least once a week at the amazing Jivamukti (Jivamuktea) Cafe. When Michael and I were in India I expected to eat it all the time, but strangely we never had it, not once! So upon returning home I wanted to take on my very own Kitchari Challenge I am going to play around with different takes of this amazing mixture of Dal and Rice. Some recipes have many spices in them and some call for just a dash of salt. This is where my challenge comes in, I want to try many of them out. I will post them as I make them. Enjoy!

I made a super big double batch of this first recipe and Michael and I were thrilled to have it in the house for over a week! It was super enjoyable and very nourishing.

Kitchari Recipe
Recipe adapted from The Ayurvedic Institute

1 cup     Basmati Rice
2 cups     Mung Dal (split yellow)
7 cups (approx.) Water
a bit of     Salt
2 Tbs.     neutral oil (like canola)
3 tsp.     Mustard Seeds
2 tsp.     Cumin Seeds or Powder
2 tsp.     Turmeric Powder
2 tsp.     Coriander Powder
2 tsp.     Fennel Powder
1 pinch     Asafoetida (Hing)(I was very excited to bring this back from India – although you can easily get it at your local Indian store)

I did not adapt my recipe for the specific doshas – but below is what The Ayurvedic Institute suggests to do.
* For Vata or Kapha conditions:
add a pinch of ginger powder
* For Pitta: leave out the mustard seeds

Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water.
Sauté the seeds in the oil until they pop. Then add the other spices. Add the mung dal and salt. Sauté for 1 or 2 minutes. Add boiling water, bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the dal is about 2/3 cooked.
Add rice and stir to mix, adding extra water if required. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Aim to have minimal water remaining, leaving the lid on the pot to allow any excess to slowly be absorbed.
Stir until the rice and dal begin to mush together and Enjoy!

Vegan Mini Broccoli Quiche

marisashealthykitchen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:20:09 +0000

Vegan Quiche!! Seriously! How fabulous are these! So perfect!!! They were amazing to have as breakfast or as a side next to some veggies or as a quick go-to snack. Plus, they were super tasty!! The crust is a little crumbly, but it was worth it.

Vegan Mini Broccoli Quiche
Recipe from http://www.glueandglitter.com

Crust

2 2/3cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy milk

filling

1 package soft silken tofu
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh broccoli, cut into small florets and peeled stems

Preheat the oven to 350.
Mix the crusts – dry ingredients together, then add the wet and stir until well combined. Press about 1/3 cup crust into each cup of a regular muffin pan. With your hands form the cups up the sides and make sure they are pressed well together, without cracks or holes.
Vita-mix or blend all the filling ingredients except the broccoli until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the broccoli.
Spoon the filling into each cup, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the tops start to brown.
Cool for 10 minutes and then using a knife remove from cups and Enjoy

raw crust

before the oven

Vegan Biscuits! For real!!!

marisashealthykitchen — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:20:17 +0000

A couple of weeks ago we were at a fabulous wedding down South in Jackson Mississippi! Not tons of vegan food to be had, but still a lot of fun! I always loved biscuits growing up in the South…..errr or NJ Seeing all the biscuits down in Mississippi inspired me to make some deelish vegan ones that I could enjoy at home. YUM!!! They came out Fantastic! So simple and easy to make and baked in 15 minutes. I felt like a total Vegan Paula Deen, taking these babies out of the oven, smearing them with earth balance and enjoying! So good!! I used plain white flour, so I wouldn’t recommend making these all the time, but for a special treat, they really hit the spot!! Enjoy!!

Right out of the oven! Yum!!

Vegan Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup earth balance
1 cup soymilk – plus a splash or two on reserve

Heat oven to 450degrees
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Add Earth Balance to the bowl and use a fork to mash together and form a crumbly mixture.
Add the soymilk in and mix till you form a ball.
Flour a counter top and pat down till dough is about an inch thick.
Using a cookie cutter or the edge of a glass cut biscuits out of the dough and place on a greased baking sheet. Continue to combine the scraps and make biscuits till you run out of dough.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
ENJOY right away with some earth balance or jam. YUM!!

Raw biscuits

Raw Biscuits

Easy Tofu Scramble

marisashealthykitchen — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:22:32 +0000

Tofu scram is one of those meals that I can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is super easy and fast and you can basically add whatever extra veggies you have in the house to it. We had it everyday for breakfast up at teacher training and if I am still eating it now, it must be a good thing

What is your favorite tofu scram recipe? I am always up for new ones!

Easy Tofu Scramble

1 packages extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled or cubed
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb fresh spinach
Sprinkle of nutritional yeast
Dash of tamari
Dash of ground pepper
Dash of Cholula Hot Sauce or your favorite brand
Dash of crushed red pepper
Dash of curry powder

Cook onions and mushrooms for 3 min, add scallions & tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, add tofu and cook for 10 min, add spinach, yeast, tamari, pepper, hot sauce, crushed red pepper, and curry powder and simmer, stirring gently for 5-10 minutes. Serve and ENJOY

Banana French Toast

marisashealthykitchen — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:00:44 +0000

These were amazing! The banana was thick enough to really coat and soak the bread. It also gave the french toast the most deelish flavor. I highly recommend this!

Banana French Toast
Makes 4 slices

2 medium bananas
2/3 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices whole-wheat bread
1 vegetable oil spray

Blend bananas, soymilk, syrup, and cinnamon until smooth. Pour into a flat, shallow dish and soak bread slices 1 minute on each side. Transfer carefully to a vegetable oil sprayed skillet. Cook first side until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook second side until browned.

Recipe from Food for Life, by Neal Barnard, M.D.

Chia Seeds Giveaway!!

marisashealthykitchen — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:16:21 +0000

So fabulous!! You all know how much I LOVE chia!!! It has so many amazing benefits! I am so excited to announce that the folks over at Chia Seeds Direct are hosting a give-away for my Fabulous readers! They have generously offered one of my lucky readers a 2-lb bag of chia seeds! Chia Seeds Direct offers a variety of chia seeds at great prices and FREE shipping in the US.

Here you can download a free 16 page booklet on chia seeds, chia seeds benefits and recipes. You can also check out these recipes: Oats and Chia, Mango Chia Goodness, Chia Seed Pudding, Sweet Double Coconut Chia Pudding, Holiday Chia Pudding, Superfood Smoothie and Banana Date Chia Pudding. (wow, I totally love Chia!!)

You have 3 ways to enter:

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment on this page letting me know why you want to win some chia seeds!

2. Post a link to this giveaway on your own blog, facebook, twitter, etc.

3. Comment or email me with your favorite chia seed recipes.

Winner will be randomly chosen after midnight EST on Friday April 2nd

*Only residents of the U.S. and Canada